Just A Few Things: Selangor Vs. Perak
Credits: Perak TBG
Such Tenacity
Both sides ran out of the gates in full speed the moment the whistle signaled the start of the match. First it was Selangor who dealt first when Amri Yahyah provided two great passes to Rufino Segovia in a space of a minute, only for Jad Nourredine to slide in before the Spaniard could shoot and Perak keeper Khairul Amri to save Rufino’s second shot from a tight angle.
However, Perak took control after around 25 minutes and made Selangor uncomfortable. They played in their usual energetic tempo as they were not afraid to take the defenders on. They also had a few good sniffs at goal with Wander Luiz the closest when he was momentarily free on the left, but his shot was a little too high. With Perak constantly knocking on Selangor’s door, they got the lead they wanted three minutes before the end where their tenacious football finally paid off.
Perak continued where they left off discomforting the Selangor defence the best they can. But Selangor retook control on the hour mark and never surrendering it. They played their usual creative passes, quick runs and had a few good crosses in, only for the Perak defence standing firm. The Red Giants dominated since then, although Perak did have some glimpses of hope somewhere in between. But Selangor in the end got their deserved equalizer eight minutes from time. Wander Luiz however could’ve stole the win deep into injury time had he connected his diving header, but the cross whizzed past him. Overall, it was a good and quick match.
Luck Played In Both Goals
It’s strange that despite the energy exuded by both teams and the style of football they played, their goals came from fortunate circumstances. Perak in one of their swift attacks saw the ball going to Nor Hakim Hassan on the left, who then in turn swung a low cross in. Alfonso De La Cruz, despite having no pressure at all (And maybe didn’t realize it) should’ve cleared as the ball fell nicely on his stronger foot. Instead though, he opted to go down and that resulted in him guiding the ball into his own net.
Selangor on the other hand scored their equalizer from a free-kick. The way it went in though maybe up for debate. It’s either Amri Yahyah meant his left-wing free-kick to be on-target, or he actually crossed it in and hope one of his teammates got a vital touch. Lucky or not, Selangor will take it and felt they got what they deserved. Speaking of Amri Yahyah…
Timeless Amri Yahyah
Rufino may be the one that has been Selangor’s best player all season, but Amri Yahyah in this match reminded us again how important he is to the Red Giants. He pulled the strings in attack, providing the creativity needed to break through the Perak box. Amri also was not afraid to take on the defenders and actually won most of those battles. With such ability on display, it’s hard to remember that he is 37-years old.
And yet, he played like someone who has reached his peak in his mid-to-late twenties. His deliveries and passes were top-notch, looked sharp in attack going forward and the Perak defence had almost no clue how to stop his influence. It will be a sad day if he decided to hang up his boots
Beto The Menace
Perak though has a creative outlet of their own on the right wing. Whenever the ball reaches to Khairil ‘Beto’ Anuar, his movements look silky and ball control was excellent. He made a complete fool out of K. Kannan often, turning him inside out and made promising runs down the right flank.
Although Perak became worried when he picked up a knock on 62 minutes. Head coach Mehmet Durakovic didn’t took any risks and subbed him off for Rafiuddin Rodin, who did decently well down that right flank. Still, if Beto can keep being consistent, a national call-up would not be far.
Perak Would Be The More Happier
Perak though came into this match without three key players: Gilmar, Leandro Dos Santos and Nasir Basharudin. Still, Perak will probably be happy with the point although at the same time, will feel frustrated they didn’t close the game out when Selangor’s equalizer came.
But everyone put in a good shift. The defensive pair of Jad Nourredine and Shahrul Saad looked firm, Khairul Amri who got picked ahead of first-choice Hafizul Hakim was composed, Brendan Gan & Kenny Pallraj supplied the engine down the middle, Beto was troublesome to deal with and Wander Luiz looked his usual energetic self. It was a slightly weakened side, but they did very well to trouble Selangor the best they can.